


Secrets

by orphan_account



Series: Grindeldore One-Shots [20]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Meeting, Gellert has no concept of personal space, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 07:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20042527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: How was it that Gellert could see something he had hidden so perfectly?





	Secrets

“Albus-

The young man heard his name called out to him from behind the front door.

-Please come in!”

He entered to find the woman sitting in a chair, “I’m so sorry I cannot greet you, dear.” She spoke with a pained expression, “This is not how I wanted the day to go at all.”

“Is everything alright?” Albus, in all his worry, briskly made his way over to her side.

“Oh yes, just a little pain in my back.” She struggled to sit up, making herself as presentable as she could given the circumstances, “Gellert, my nephew, the one I told you about; he has been looking after me well.”

Albus could hear a noise come from within the kitchen area.

“Is there anything I can do?” Albus wondered, already well versed in many aspects of housework.

“If you would, help Gellert in the kitchen please.” With a wince, Bathilda spoke, “He was just making some tea.”

“And coffee.” A heavily accented voice called from the kitchen. He had obviously been listening in on them.

“And coffee.” Bathilda repeated with a small laugh, “As I’m sure you heard.”

Albus nodded his head, leaving the woman and entering the kitchen.

There he found a blond hurrying about as though he were on a mission.

“It is so nice of you to look after your aunt.” Albus complemented his fervor, “My name is Albus.”

The man did not stay still, “Gellert.” He spoke his name before situating himself before a tea pot, “It was nice of her to have me stay here with her.”

Looking around Albus found no glasses for the tea.

Gellert was quite literally waiting for the water to boil. He looked so focused, ending all further conversation that may have been.

Anticipating the inevitable, Albus went to the cabinet to gather three glasses.

A comfortable silence filled the void.

Albus took two steps toward the engrossed man before his eyes were caught by the mid-day light that shone through the window. People passed by on their way with their lives, unsuspecting of the one who looked on at them with interest. One passerby in particular caught Albus’ eye.

Soon the auburn haired man found himself lost.

It wasn’t until a whistle brought him back to his senses.

Albus turned to move but found his path blocked by-

Gellert stood aside him, he too was looking out the window now. A small smile had found it’s way to the stranger’s lips when he finally redirected his eyes to Albus.

Falling back and redirecting his path- “Excuse me.” Albus clumsily asked for pardon, making his way to the counter to place those three glasses he had forgotten he was holding.

Their meeting had been anything but graceful.

Even still, Albus found it interesting. For such a novel encounter, he felt a sense of familiarity, as though this was another casual visit to the Bagshot residence.

Bathilda’s nephew followed him to that counter, tea and coffee in hand, leaning his back against it in the most relaxed sort of ways as though he felt it too.

Gellert watched intently as Albus grab the kettle and began to pour the hot water, uttering only a few words in the most nonchalant way, “You are attracted to m-”

**Shatter**

Albus jumped away as hot water flooded through broken glass.

“-men.” Gellert finished despite the glass protesting. Also pointing out the obvious mistake, “And you forgot to put a spoon in the glass before poring.”

“Are you both alright?!” Bathilda’s voice called out to them.

Gellert turn to the door, “Sorry auntie, I dropped a glass.” He took the fall, turning back to find… a wand pointed at his face.

Instinct took over in a moment and the blond ducked to the floor, just barely missing the spell. In that very instant he too pulled out his wand, ready now for any future surprise attack.

Albus lowered his wand ever so slightly, a bit impressed by how the other had avoided him.

“Why would you do that!” Gellert hissed, just enough for the other to hear but not enough to alert his aunt.

In actuality he knew exactly why.

“I am attracted to women.” Albus finally replied to the accusation that had started this whole duel, feeling a bit silly denying it now due to his extreme reaction.

“I didn’t say you weren’t.” Gellert offered, holding his hands up as he stood tall yet again. He did not want a fight, the words had been observational, if that, “All I said is that I notice you seem to be attracted to men.”

Albus bit his tongue, thinking quickly for something to say that would not also incriminate him.

But Gellert spoke first, “And that memory spell you attempted to cast is not helping your case. You’ve had to do this before.”

Once again, not incorrect.

“No, never.”

Gellert gave him an almost pitied look at what he could tell was a most blatant lie, lowering his rustic wand now completely and placing it down near the mix of glass, hot water, and tea leaves.

Gellert was defenseless as he spoke, “Would you be more at ease if I told you why I suspected? That way you can better prepare yourself for the future, whether or not I was correct.”

Albus, feeling no reason to remain guarded against the vulnerable man, also lowered his wand, “How.” Adding quickly, “Why would you assume such a thing?”

Assume.

The word itself seemed to lift a chuckle from the other’s lips, “I saw the way you looked at that man in the most interesting of ways.” Accentuating his point by specifying, “A particularly handsome man.”

“And is it a crime to have eyes?” Albus tried, “I can appreciate … the male form.” In vain.

And it was true. But that in itself was not what had caused Gellert to wonder.

“Then such appreciation you must have then.” Gellert pursed his lips, attempting to consider the best words to use, “It was your eyes, you did not look as though you were merely entranced by something of beauty. It was more … Is he a lover of yours?”

“Of course not.” Albus raised his wand again, feeling now that he had given too much away. But it was no matter. This man would have no memory in no time. They would redo their meeting and he would be none the wiser.

It was a shame to Albus that it had to be this way, despite the shock that Gellert had been able to pick up on his proclivity so quickly, there was also something wonderful about it. If the world was different … but it was no use thinking about ‘what if’s. Albus could not risk imprisonment now that he had taken on the role of Ariana’s caregiver.

Gellert stared the spell down, unafraid, confident even, “You can do it you know, erase my memory, alter it. But it won’t matter, because in the end your eyes will remind me.” In fact, he took a hold of that wand, guiding it downward. And it fell without resistance as Gellert made a promise, “I am not going to say a word, if that is what you are concerned for, in fact-“

He took a step closer.

“-I too-”

So close where they now that Albus felt almost suffocated, unwilling to exhale for fear his breath may still smell of the eggs he had had for breakfast.

If Gellert had finished his confession, Albus did not hear it.

In a twist, the blond asked, “So you will tell no one then?” Looking not to the other’s eyes but his lips, waiting for an answer.

“Is the tea almost ready?”

Bathilda, restless from sitting, had decided to check on the boys.

Instead of finding them working on the beverages, she found Albus practically pinned to the counter by her nephew, their mess still uncleaned behind them.

“Gellert!” She spoke out in a stern voice, “What have I said. Arms distance at all times.”

With an exhausted sigh, Gellert did as he was told.

Bathilda hobbled over to her seemingly shaken neighbor, “So sorry, Albus.” Shooing her nephew away even further to give them even more room, “He does not seem to comprehend that some people actually enjoy having personal space.”

“It’s alright.” Albus assured, looking over to Gellert who tossed him a wink before placing a finger to his lips.

Within the first 5 minutes of meeting, the pair already had a secret shared between them, the first of many that summer.


End file.
